The next day
by CD57
Summary: After all the time-loops in Window of Opportunity, Jack is more than ready to leave the base. So this is what I think would have happened the next day.


STATUS: Complete

CATEGORY: Missing scene for Window of Opportunity. Drama.

SPOILERS: Window of Opportunity

SEASON / SEQUEL: 4

RATING: G / K

CONTENT WARNINGS: None

SUMMARY: This is what the next day could have looked like.

ARCHIVE: Heliopolis, Corine. Fanfiction

DISCLAIMER: This story is written entirely for entertainment and is not intended as an infringement against the copy written material that belongs solely to Showtime, MGM/UA, Gekko Films, et al. I'm only playing with their characters and will return them as soon as the story is finished. The following story is the property of the author and is not to be copied, or published without the express, written consent of the author.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: **This is the third and last one in a series. In contradiction to the first two, this one is a little bit more serious. The time-loops are over and Jack is just more than ready to leave the base for a while. Can't blame the guy....**

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Major Samantha Carter and Dr. Daniel Jackson, both still unable to fully comprehend that they'd been reliving the same day over and over again the past three months, sat in the commissary, watching their Commanding Officer, Colonel Jack O'Neill, enjoying his breakfast of oatmeal.

"Well, I've never seen anyone enjoying oatmeal that much," Daniel commented after a while.

"When you've been eating Fruit Loops for who knows how long, a little variety helps..." Jack explained, taking another bite.

Sam looked up. "We've got a message from the Tok'ra. Apparently they've been trying to contact us for over three months."

Jack swallowed the next bite of oatmeal. "Really?" he responded, not looking surprised at all.

"Who knows when they first realized that we were cut off," Sam continued, unable to keep her eyes off the spoons loaded with oatmeal disappearing into her CO's mouth. "I mean, there's really no telling in how much time has passed."

"Let me ask you something... " Daniel interrupted, suddenly realizing something. "In all that time that you were... looping. Were you ever tempted to eerrr.. to do something crazy, I mean errr... you could do anything without worrying about the consequences..."

Jack fell silent for a while. Damn. He so hoped that Daniel would forget about that. "You know, that's funny. You've asked me that before."

"And?"

Jack smiled, staring at his Second, remembering the touch of her face, her soft lips; that it had felt damn good and, most important of all, that she hadn't resisted him at all. Slowly, very slowly, he took another lick from the biggest spoon of oatmeal he could get, enjoying the moment, the surprise on the faces in front of him, knowing they were both dying to know what had actually happened.

He would never tell them.

He couldn't.

O'Neill knew that Daniel wouldn't stop asking though, not for a long time. The younger man was too curious and too stubborn for that, and would hope for him to reveal it one day. Carter, on the other hand, smart enough to figure out it had something to do with her, wouldn't dare to ask, she'd be too embarrassed. Chuckling inwardly at the looks of surprise, wonder and realization that he wasn't going to give them a clue at all, Jack knew it was time to leave.

"No offense, kids," he said, after finishing the last bit of his delicious oatmeal. "After having been on base for over three months, without time off, without even some shuteye, I really need a break. I'm going to catch some fresh air." He rose to his feet.

"Err, sure, Jack," Daniel nodded in understanding. "It must have been frustrating to relive these loops over and over. Have fun."

"Oh, I will. See you kids next week. Behave, while I'm gone, okay?"

Sam giggled. "Yes, Sir. Take care of yourself, Sir."

Jack walked away, but Daniel stopped him.

"Uhm, Jack??"

O'Neill stopped, looking annoyingly over his shoulder. "Daniel?"

"I remember that I asked you a question, yesterday morning. I've told you how I feel and I want to know what you think..." Daniel hesitated, wondering if it was a good time right now to bring up that subject.

"Oh, but I told you that, Daniel," Jack smiled.

"You didn't," Daniel responded, unbelievingly.

"Did."

"Did not."

"Yes, I did."

"You did?" Daniel raised his brows.

"Yes, Danny-boy. I answered it the first time, before we started looping," Jack said, smiling secretly. He turned back and headed to the door, calling once more over his shoulder before leaving the room. "Don't tell me you forgot????"

---00---00---

O'Neill was still chuckling when he walked towards the elevator. He'd gathered his stuff, was dressed in his civvies and he planned to take some time off. He'd been on this base too long, looking at the same walls and faces over and over again so he desperately needed some privacy.

He wasn't about to admit it, but Malakai's suffering, the man's grief over the death of his wife and his struggle to turn back time had affected him a lot. It had brought back some painful memories, as he so well understood Malakai's needs, something he'd desired ever since his son had died. If it were only possible. If only he could turn back time long enough to wrap his arms around Charlie, just once... He needed only five minutes, five minutes to tell Charlie how much he's loved, how much he's missed and how terribly sorry his dad was for making that fatal mistake. O'Neill swallowed the lump that was built up in his throat. The Ancients hadn't succeeded, so why hope for the impossible?

Jack sighed, trembling slightly as he realized he needed to go somewhere where he could sort out his thoughts. It had been a while since he'd visited his son's grave, and it was his first destination.

"O'Neill," a dark voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Teal'c, my man," O'Neill responded, greeting his friend, attempting to hide his emotional state of mind.

"Do you plan to leave the facility, O'Neill?" the Jaffa asked.

"Yeah, you know... I really have enough of this place... I need some fresh air... "

Teal'c nodded. "I would like to accompany you, O'Neill."

Jack looked at his friend. He needed to get his emotions back in check, in private. On the other hand, his friend had been in the same boring, frustrating situation as he had. Unlike him, Teal'c had nowhere to go outside the mountain. He stepped forward and slapped the huge Jaffa on the shoulder. "Sure, my friend. Come on, let's get out of here."

Teal'c's face lit up, then thoroughly examined the haunted features of the man in front of him. "Do whatever you need to do, O'Neill. I will not disturb you."

They hadn't said much while O'Neill drove his truck. He appeared to be lost in his thoughts and had failed to tell Teal'c where he was going. Teal'c decided not to ask, but soon understood when his friend absent-mindedly parked his truck on the cemetery's parking lot.

O'Neill got out, then seemed to become aware of the presence of his friend. "Oh, err, Teal'c... I just," he hesitatingly tried to explain. "I need some time here... We'll do something more fun later, okay?"

Teal'c walked around the truck and leaned comfortably with his back against it. "Take your time, O'Neill. I shall wait."

He watched as his friend hiked through the small corridors between the markers, certain of his direction, then saw him kneeling in the grass. Teal'c smiled wearily. He hadn't failed to notice the strain in O'Neill's voice when he'd told Malakai that he knew what he was going through. Teal'c also knew O'Neill preferred to deal with his emotions by himself, in private. Yet, the man had not hesitated to take him along.

Teal'c wouldn't interfere. He would give O'Neill as much time as he needed while he stood guard, as he always did when they were off world. He watched their surroundings, looking for anything that might disturb his friend, ready to react. He hoped O'Neill would manage to find some peace.

No matter how long it would take.

Teal'c waited patiently for three hours, and then finally, O'Neill rose, and, with one hand shoved deep into his pocket, walked back to the truck. Teal'c studied his friend closely. Although he still looked utterly quiet and pale, the haunted expression had vanished from his features as he greeted his alien friend with a faint smile.

"Thanks, Teal'c," O'Neill said. "I needed that. What do you want to do now?"

"I believe it is a great day for fishing, O'Neill," the Jaffa stated.

That brought back a huge smile on O'Neill's face. "Yes, it is, Teal'c," he responded, then looked over his shoulder to the cemetery one last time before opening the door of his truck. "It really is."

**THE END**

**Author's notes: Well, that was it. Thanks so much you guys for reviewing or favoring the stories, I am glad you liked the first two parts. Hope the last one lived up to the expectations, as it took a whole other direction....  
**


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